


safe&sound

by DepressivePotato



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Bisexual Richie Tozier, Car Sex, College, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Rich Richie Tozier, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21831940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressivePotato/pseuds/DepressivePotato
Summary: “Eddie, if you fell a-asleep at the toilet again I-I swear to fucking God I’m gonna rip your face off, bitch.” Bill yelled, as Eddie woke up. Fuck, he thought. His legs were almost locked and his butt was stiff from the coldness of the seat. It was third time this week.“It’s third time this week!” Bill repeated, and Eddie rolled his eyes.“Shut up.” He sighed and got up. His sleep schedule was shit, the finals were approaching, and all he ever did was to fall asleep in the toilet seat. Great job, dumbass, he told himself, as he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he washed his hands on the sink, straightened his hair with some water, and splashed his face with cold water. He had a physics final this...TODAY. HE HAD A FUCKING FINAL TODAY.also, rats being added for romance. You know, like ratatouille.
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 9
Kudos: 140





	1. the guy mom warned me about

_ **Bill &Eddie’s dorm** _

“Eddie, if you fell a-asleep at the toilet again I-I swear to fucking God I’m gonna rip your face off, bitch.” Bill yelled, as Eddie woke up. Fuck, he thought. His legs were almost locked and his butt was stiff from the coldness of the seat. It was third time this week.

“It’s third time this week!” Bill repeated, and Eddie rolled his eyes.

“Shut up.” He sighed and got up. His sleep schedule was shit, the finals were approaching, and all he ever did was to fall asleep in the toilet seat. Great job, dumbass, he told himself, as he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he washed his hands on the sink, straightened his hair with some water, and splashed his face with cold water. He had a physics final this...

TODAY. HE HAD A FUCKING FINAL TODAY.

He opened the door with brute force, sending Bill to the wall. “I HAVE A FUCKING FINAL TODAY! OH MY GOD!”

“What?” Bill asked him, his face screaming “what the fuck?”. As his friend searched for his pants in their dorm, he finally understood what was going on. “YOU HAD A FINAL!?”

“I _HAVE_ A FINAL!” Eddie screamed , and getting into his jeans. “What time is it?!”

“Uh, f-five minutes until 8.”

“Five. Oh my god, I have five minutes. Ford building’s on the other side of the campus. I’m not gonna make it. I’m not gonna make it and I’m gonna fail. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-“. Bill slapped him in the face, and Eddie shrieked.

“What the fuck,dude?” He shouted, and felt his cheek burning. “Why’d you do that-“

“Go, you moron!” Bill shouted and that was enough for Eddie. He opened the door with all his power, forcing it to the wall, and literally tumbled down the stairs. As he reached the front door, he started to chant ‘fuck’ again. If he ran, he would still be there 10 minutes late, and he wasn’t sure he could make there alive. He looked for anything; a bus, a car, even a fucking bike, but no, God decided Eddie should be even more miserable than he was by failing the exam he had been studying for weeks, an exam that could literally decide which road he was going to take in his life. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that important, but seeing Ms. Martens’ moled, disapproving face would be worse than any nightmares he ever had and he ever will. So, he started running.

After a while, he noticed a red car behind him. Oh great, I’m going to be murdered by some hobo AND I’m going to fail my physics exam. Great. Just what I fucking needed.

“Hey! You good?” The voice from the car asked, and Eddie turned his head to see who it belonged to. He expected a blonde frat boy, considering the car was a nice one, and the voice was almost erotic. Oh my god, he was going to fail university. One problem at a time, he told himself, and melted.

The voice, turns out, belonged to a incredibly handsome, brunette guy with a really, really sharp jawline. And really hot glasses.

Focus, idiot. Don’t think about your prick for a fucking second.

“You late or something?” The guy asked again, his brown eyes seizing the smaller man. Eddie looked disheveled, the fluffy hair sticking to all places, and baggy pants, with a shirt that said “and i oop-“ in purple text, with a blinding kind of texture in the background. It wasn’t Eddie’s fault that he had to step outside with his pajamas. He was going to fail university, he thought that being a fashion disaster wasn’t that big of a problem.

“Yeah, uh... Kind of? I...I would probably ask you down to your ID, but I really, really have to get on time for this physics ex-“

“No way, me too.”

“Fuck, really?”

“Yeah, can drop you off to Ford Building. There are 3 mins, and Ms. Martens ain’t gonna let anyone in if they aren’t there 10 mins before. But I have this kinda trick upon my sleeve.” he said, winking suggestively.

“Your dick is that big?” Eddie told and cursed himself. Way to go Eddie, asking a man his penis size 20 seconds in. Great. He’s going to drive off, and maybe over me if I’m lucky enough. That’s awesome. “Fuck,sorry-“

Suddenly, Richie started wheezing in the car seat, unable to even breathe. His whole body shook with laughter and he threw his head back, baring that perfect jawline and neck, leaving Eddie speechless. His thin, long fingers grasped the steering wheel and he accidentally honked, causing Eddie to jump on his feet. As he laughed, Eddie forgot about the exam, Ms. Martens and her moles, and even the possibility of failing his classes. He only watched him laugh, and his mouth curved without permission. Just a little.

“Oh, fuck, that was good. Get in, Joshua!” Richie wheezed again, and opened the car door with his long arms. Fuck, they were long.

“My name’s not Joshua.”

“Then get in, Jonathan!” Richie said once more, still pointing to the car seat. Eddie went around the car with small steps, not even caring if he failed or not.

“My name’s not Jonathan either.”

“Fuck, really?” He said, as Eddie positioned himself in the car, and he couldn’t keep himself from softly whispering ‘holy shit’.

If you talked to any frat boy and asked them what their dream car was, they would show this. This was the car version of a man cave; beers everywhere with half eaten chips somewhere in the background, and jackets thrown carelessly around the backseat. The seats were covered with brown leather and they looked a bit old. Instead of the smell of beer and chips, the car had a fresh scent. It smelled of a bit of wood, with a scent of alcohol. It smelled like the man that sat next to him.

“It’s Eddie.” Eddie told him quietly, looking at the man more closely. He hoped he would get uglier if there was less distance between them, considering he was standing near the trees, and he could only see him by the little window of his car, which was half tinted, so he really didn’t caught a sight of his lips. But once he saw the whole deal, oh no.

“Nice to meet you, Eds.” He told him, and watched him as he took the seatbelt in his hands. “It’s like a, five minute ride, dude. We’re not going fast and furious.”

“Yeah, let me risk my life because a Hawaii-shirt wearing frat boy told me to be cooler. Sure will do that.” Eddie told him, narrowing his eyes. “You do know we only have like, a minute, right? You told me you had a trick up your sleeve and you better do because if you don’t, i will literally kill you in the exam room and make everyone have a hundred.”

“That is the best damn idea I’ve ever heard, if I don’t get you in, which I will but whatever, definitely do that. Actually, fuck that, do that even if we can get in.” The guy joked, and looked at Eddie. “I’m Richie, but you can call me Daddy.”

“Did you really fucking say that? Oh my god, I’m really starting to feel that the trick up your sleeve is just some weed and we won’t actually get in. Daddy? Really, fucker?” Eddie told him, and couldn’t help but laugh, even if it was the cheesiest shit he’s ever heard. “Fuck, I’m gonna fail this exam, and it’s going to be because of a guy with a nice car, just what my mom warned me about.”

“Aww, she did tell you about me! Well, Eds, we’ve been together for a while now but we don’t mind you joining. ” Richie joked, and Eddie rolled his eyes. A ‘I’m fucking your mom ‘joke. This day couldn’t get any better.

“Thanks dumbass, now I’m thinking my mom naked, just the image I needed before my fucking final.”

“It’s the image I use every time.” He said, a giggle escaping his lips. He looked really hot when he laughed too. “Do you wanna have like, a full paper or something? A 100?” Richie asked, a bit more serious.

“Of course I want a 100, idiot. Who doesn’t?” Eddie asked, staring at the- staring at Richie. He was actually a really good driver, which was surprising, because when you looked at him you immediately thought of a car crash. He was very smooth with the bumps and turns, he was very relaxed and laid back but also careful too, and he knew what he was doing. He quickly found his way to the Ford building.

“I... I can make that happen, if you... if you want to.”

“What the hell you talking about?” He asked, but Richie quickly turned his head. “What?”

“I’m kidding, Eds, I don’t fuck that good.” He said and threw his head back in a laugh again, but this time it didn’t feel so sincere. “Dude, I’m kidding. Though you can see it for yourself...” The confidence he had! He didn’t even know if Eddie was gay, and let alone asking, he just assumed that he did! Not that it wasn’t true, but Eddie was wearing pajamas goddamn it, and it’s not like it was on his forehead with rainbow colors.

“You don’t even know if I’m gay!” He exclaimed, and Richie laughed.

“I can tell you’re gay from a mile away sweetheart, and i wouldn’t even need glasses. “ Eddie tried not to blush at the nickname. But it was literally 8 fucking a.m and a handsome guy with a great car was flirting shamelessly with him. Great job Eddie, he told himself, and mentally high-fived.

“Besides, even if you were straight, I wouldn’t have it. “ Richie said casually, making a swift turn. “A little bratty sub like you, nah. You can even smell it in you, you know?”. This was probably the hottest moment in Eddie’s life. Richie was talking about it like nothing, driving, talking about it like the weather. It sent a shiver in Eddie’s legs, and the thing between them. He had a physics exam, god damn it. He couldn’t take his exam when he had a fucking boner!

Focus, Kaspbrak.

“Um-“

“We’re here, totally straight boy.”

They got out of the car and walked though the deserted halls of the Ford building. The only exam today was physics, normally, because sane teachers didn’t put exams that’ll effect half of your final grade in fucking sundays. Eddie huffed and looked at the taller man, itching to start a conversation.

“So, physics...” he started, a tint of shy in his voice. “What do you major in?” He was probably the dumbest person ever. Yes, a really exciting conversation about majors. Definitely gonna earn you a date.

“Coding, computer engineering, you name it.”

“You name it? What, do you major in like, 5 different subjects?”

“I think it’s 4, the last time i checked it was definitely 4. And you know, minoring here and there, too. I usually only show up to exams and stuff, I only like coding.”

“Wow, you are a fucking genius.” Eddie exclaimed softly, unable to hold his tongue. “I mean, I can hardly major in med, let alone minor.”

“I made 6 your mom jokes before you got here and you are still questioning my IQ, Eds.”

“It’s Eddie.”

“It’s short for Eddie. Eds.” Richie said, a faint smile covering his lips. The exam was long forgotten. They decided to take the stairs.

“Eddie is already short for Edward, asshole. I have a name, use it.”

“Well, you seemed fine when I called you sweetheart. That’s not your name, right?” Richie said quietly, still smiling. But the soft smirk turned to a devilish one. “Would you like it if i called you more? Is that your thing, _baby boy_?” Eddie swallowed his spit agonizingly, the tent between his legs getting larger and larger. “Oh, you do.”

“F-fuck you.” Eddie said, but it came in like more a whimper. He hated him. Fuck, he was getting redder by the second, and he wasn’t sure he could take the exam like that. Fuck Richie. Fuck his erotic voice and fuck his goddamn glasses. Oh fuck no, he wasn’t going to fail physics because a hot guy with a great fucking car. His mom did not raise a bitch.

“Hey, hey, Melanie! How you doin!” Richie walked up to the amphitheatre and Eddie only then realized they were at their destination. He walked behind Richie, and tried to get his body under control as Ms. Martens looked at Richie and then Eddie. “Sorry, I am a little late, Traffic, you know?” he said cheekily, as the woman looked at him disapprovingly. She had a weird body composure, stuck between respectful and annoyed.

“Mr. Tozier, as always, late. You may sit down.” the woman said, eyeing Eddie. Few people were looking at them, he realized. As Richie made his way into one of the seats, Eddie followed him.

Until Ms. Martens stopped him.

“I said Mr Tozier could sit down, not you.” she said, her face ugly as always. Eddie gulped. He looked at Richie. He swore this wouldn’t happen. He said he had a trick upon his sleeve.“You may go on and go back home because you are 22 minutes late to-“

“Oh Eds, want to grab a coffee?” Richie asked suddenly, standing up and walking. The whole class was looking at them now, the exam forgotten. “You know, cause if you are not taking this exam, neither am I. There is this awesome place down the-“

“Mr Tozier, sit down!”

“Um, I don’t think so, because if he’s not taking this exam, I am not taking it too, and I don’t you’d like that very much, just like some other people. As I was saying, I think it was Paul’s is really nice. Come on, I’ll buy you a white chocolate mocha. I love that shit.” He knows what he’s doing, Eddie realized. For some reason, this woman can’t say no to him, and I’m pretty sure it’s not fucking. She’s his mother? No, that was dumb...

“Fine. Mr...” the professor said, a beaten expression on her face. She looked at Eddie.

“Kasprak. It’s Kaspbrak.” Eddie told her, looking at Richie. He mouthed a thank you , and Richie smiled softly.

“And you better remember it!” Richie told Mr Martens as he sat next to Eddie. The student were looking at them with wide eyes, some of them whispering among each other.

Eddie tried not to blush


	2. coffee and rats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter includes lots of coffee and a plot twist that has nothing to do with the original planning of this story because i am: a crackhead

He should’ve known something was up when he saw his 100 on the exam paper.

He was sure about his mistakes. Yes, there were lots of them, but it should’ve been enough to pass. He literally counted his own points. 56. He should’ve had a fucking 56.

Instead, he was looking at a paper and a big 100 written on it, with a red, broad marker. What the fuck.

So naturally, when he went to his physics class that Wednesday, he should’t have been surprised to find Richie Tozier, sitting right next to his usual place, right?

Yeah, he was a little surprised.

“Hey, Eds!” Richie said cheerfully, and considering it was 8 in the fucking morning, it was just a tad bit weird. Just a fucking bit. “Slept well? Brought you coffee.” He told him, gazing at the 4 cups of grande cups. “Didn’t know what you liked, so I bought everything with the maximum amount of sugar in it. And I have one filtered coffee, but like that’s for me. If you drink from the same cup, we’ll be technically kissing.” This long train of words did not make any sense to Eddie, who just literally waited, standing up, and looking at the boy in front of him.

“Um. Thanks.” Was the only thing he managed to say. Why was this guy that fucking nice? And that energetic? What the hell was happening? Was he still in a dream? Would Richie suddenly yank him to his lips and do...stuff, like half the fucking dreams he had over the week? Ok, half was underrating it. More like 95%. Or a 100%. Eddie didn’t fucking know anymore.

When he heard Ms. Martens’ cough, he quickly tried moving to his seat, but there was only one problem; Richie and his lap were on the way. He looked at the smiling boy. And god, he was wearing that fucking smirk again. Eddie cursed under his breath. Yeah, he was so fucking lucky. The luckiest. Fuck. He hated his life.

“Can I...uh... get through?” He said in a hushed voice, one eye on Ms. Martens. The girl near them coughed, suppressing a giggle. Great, whole physics class thought they were fucking. That was just plain awesome.

“Yeah, sure, Eds.” Richie said casually.

“You are in the way, fucker.” Eddie told him, trying to stop himself from beheading the taller boy. I’m gonna kill him, and I’m going to be a killer and I’m going to spend my fucking life in fucking jail because of that fucker, he thought, trying to be calm as possible.

“Yeah, see, Eds, this is like the first physics class I’ve ever been, and I now realized the seats are really comfy. I don’t think I’ll be able to get up.”

“Ok then, I’ll find another seat-“ Eddie started, and finished his sentence in half, because all of the seats were fucking taken. Normally nearly-empty physics class turned to a fucking circus, apparently. Ms. Martens did not seem to laugh, though. She just looked annoyed.

“Mr Kaspbrak, do you need another class to learn how to sit? There is an empty place near Mr. Tozier, sit there.” She said, her moles looking like sad faces. Eddie gulped. Going through there meant literally sitting on Richie’s lap, and he wasn’t sure he could contain some of his parts if that happened. “We don’t have all day!”

Eddie gulped again, feeling his throat getting dryer and dryer every second. 

“Come on Eds, not that hard.” Richie told him. Oh so encouraging.

I’m not going to see the fucking end of this.

He took a step, positioning himself in Richie’s lap. He could literally hear him chuckling behind him. “Shut up ,fucker.” He grumbled under his breath. This was both the most embarrassing and the hottest moment in his entire fucking life.He and his backpack tried taking the second step, and seconds seemed like hours to Eddie. But at last, he was at his normal seat, face red as a tomato.

“Finally.” Ms Martens said.

“Wasn’t so hard, right?” Richie said.

Eddie wanted to choke them both.

Eddie’s highlighters stood unused as he spent the entire class looking at Richie. He seemed no different than tomorrow; he was wearing an Hawaiian shirt that looked both ridiculous and hot at the same time. His black pair of pants hanged on his hips, not too tight but not too homeless either. His big glasses made his eyes looked enormous. While his eyes looked like they were black from far, standing this close to him, Eddie saw that they were actually dark brown. His pupils were barely visible. He didn’t have any zits or even a slightest bit of acne on his face, which was surprising because Eddie saw those chips and beers and junk food in his car.His lips were full and had a had a tint of red on them. His cheekbones were razor sharp, like his jawline. He had big bags under his eyes, but they didn’t make him look...

“Hey Eds, take a picture. It’ll last longer.” Eddie jumped in his seat. Richie was looking at him smirking, fully aware of Eddie gazing at him. He took a highlighter and stuck it in his mouth, nibbling on the tip.

Eddie was fucked.

“I wasn’t...I wasn’t staring. I, uh, I just kinda got distracted. I was gazing. I mean, not at you, like anywhere, and you happened to be there when I was gazing.” He said, his stutter would make Bill jealous. “And how would you know if ı was gazing at you or not, if you weren’T gazing at me the entire time?”

“Oh, smart and sexy. I liked it. Come on, I have a coffee promise to you.” He said casually, taking his leather jacket and standing up.

“There is already coffee here,” Eddie said, pointing at the grande cups. “I mean, you already bought them and-“

“They’re cold, Eds. Come on, you’re gonna love Paul’s. Their filtered coffee is amazing.”

“I thought you liked white chocolate mocha?” Eddie answered, remembering this Sunday. And how he didn’t see Richie anywhere since then. “Um, you told me this Sunday.” Okay, now he was a creepy guy that remembered everything that Richie told him. Oh, and I remember your car too, what’s inside it, and how you called me sweetheart and baby boy. Yeah, he should definitely say that.

“Sometimes I do, sometimes I like filtered coffee better. I am a strange man, Eds.”

“Don’t call me Eds.”

“Whatever you say, Eds.”

Paul’s was actually really nice.

It smelled coffee and wood and a bit of weed, though Eddie couldn’t see any. The moment he stepped in, it was another world. 9 a.m. sunlight was pouring through the windows, and people were chattering quietly, steam hitting their faces. They were mostly college students, but there were couple of exceptions. When Eddie looked at Richie, he was looking right at him, and turned his head the second he was caught.

“Take a picture, Tozier,” Eddie joked, looking at Richie’s eyes. “It’ll last longer.” Richie only smiled. Eddie waited for a ‘your mom’ joke but there wasn’t any, so he quietly took a step into the cafe. He could feel Richie following him. As he walked to the coffee stand, he tried to get out his wallet, but a hand stopped him.

“My treat, Kaspbrak.” He told him, taking out his wallet. He handed the credit card to the barista,and smiled slyly.

“Fuck you, Richie. Fuck you. Fuck your socks.” The barista said. Eddie was taken aback as Richie continued smiling. “All my fucking shirts are pink Richie. You owe me like, 7 shirts, you fucker.”

“Buy your own fucking socks, bitch. How was I supposed to know you don’t mix red and white in laundry?” Richie answered as he slid the credit card. Eddie could swear it was one of those rich man cards.

“It’s general fucking knowledge, you fucker.” The barista told them, taking one little cup. Then, remembering the shorter boy, he looked at Eddie. Eddie remembered people actually can’t read minds in this dimension and he had to tell them what he wanted.

“Um, one v-“ Eddie started, but Stan looked uninterested.

“Yeah, I know what your order is, I just saw you somewhere, trying to remember that.” He said, and looked at Richie, and Eddie again. His apron had blue birds on it, Eddie realized, and he also read minds. Cool, my new barista can read minds.

“What?”

“Don’t ,I remember your order, you came in couple of months ago, you probably don’t remember, you were in a hurry. Short guy, are you Diana’s friend? No, all of her friends are straight, only gay friend is Ally, cause image, and-“

“I’m- what? Excuse me?”

“Oh, this is Stan, he’s weird.” Richie explained, trying to hold back a laugh. “He remembers even little shit which is sometimes annoying because I forget shit all the time. Hey, bird brain, where are our fucking coffees, huh?” Stan rolled his eyes and turned to Eddie.

“Same as the last one?” He asked, scribbling his name to the cup. “Ed? Edward? Something starting with Ed-“

“Eddie, it’s Eddie, and yes, the last one. Oh and by the way, are all your fucking friends geniuses?” Eddie said, looking at Richie. “Because this guy majors in like 6”

“4-“ Richie tried to say but Eddie continued.

“So many fucking subjects and you freakishly remember everything you hear-“

“Not everything-“ Stan tried this time, but that didn’t stop the smaller boy either.

“What now, you have another genius who is, i don’t know, invented time travel? What the fuck?”

“No, but i did teach them how to dress.” A girl said.

“Well, you did a horrendous job-“ Eddie started, then turned back, and saw Beverly Marsh, daughter of the famous actor and stylist, Elian Marsh. This day just can’t get any better, he told himself, trying to close his mouth. Red-haired girl just threw a mean smirk and got the cup Stan handed to her. “Bev. And you must be Richie’s new boyfriend.”

“Bev, he’s not my-“

“BEVERLY MARSH?!”

Turns out The famous magazine girl Beverly Marsh was actually a really nice person.

Richie, Eddie and she sat down on a table, their hot coffees in their hands. She had a cute New York accent, and to Eddie’s realization, so did Richie. His wasn’t thick as Beverly’s was, but Eddie could still hear it. He took another sip of his delicious coffee and watched Beverly messing with Richie.

“Freshman year, we’re a bunch of kids, you know, fresh outta high school, and this jerk here, proposed to go to this party, i don’t know, a frat party. The place was swarming with frat boys, and girls with shit makeup. This guy comes, alright...”

Honestly, Eddie was not listening to one word she was saying. Instead, his eyes were locked to Richie, who was laughing sincerely, his hand fixing his glasses every now and then. Who was this guy? The car, being that close friends with Beverly Marsh, that shit he pulled with Ms. Martens... Eddie was sure he was the son of somebody important, but how important? Not just someone’s son, but also a genius too. Majoring in 4 different subjects and probably acing every one of them. Never even showing up to class and passing... And, the real question was, why did Eddie was into him this much?

And why he was this into Eddie?

“Hey, Eds, you good?” Richie asked, and the stupid pet name (?) made him regain his focus on two friends. “Eds?”

“Yeah, I’m good, this coffee is amazing.” He said, which wasn’t a total lie, because the coffee was actually amazing. Beverly smiled and turned her gaze upon Stan.

“He makes awesome coffees, he gets the perfect amount of everything every time. Well, Eddie, we talked lots, why don’t you talk about yourself?”

“Oh Bev, for fucks sake..”

“What? I am hungry for information! And you still mumble that shit about you not even fucking. I know you since birth, Tozier, not that kind of guy to just go after someone to talk.”

“Well, I never fucked Stan, did I?”

“Yet.” She finished with a smile tugging at her lips, and Richie elbowed her slightly. “Eds, was it?”

“Eddie.” He told her, wanting to kick Richie. “Well, uh, not much to say, I guess. Grew up in a shit town, no dad, don’t know where he went, decided to be a nurse, or a pediatrician if I’m lucky enough.”

“Ew, kids.” Beverly made a face, and suddenly a phone rang. It was Eddie’s.

Bill was calling to let him know that the dorm they were sleeping had fucking rats and they were evacuating the whole building. Students were advised to sleep in their friends’ dorms or hotels until the building was cleaned.

In another terms, Eddie was fucked.


	3. the wet dream of an architect

Sometimes Eddie thought he was cursed. Who the fuck had rats in their fucking dorm room, in the middle of fucking Boston? Yeah, well, Eddie’s dorms had rats in it, and he wasn’t even allowed to take out his belongings, in case the fucking plague started again or some shit.

“You could stay at our place!” Beverly said, like this was the most convenient thing to happen to a human being. “We have this big ass frat house, and the couch turns into a bed, so it should be comfortable enough. Or maybe we’ll share rooms, but then I would have to pass you to the boys, and nobody would want to sleep in Richie’s room, believe me. The last time he ever cleaned it up was like, September, two years ago.” The long string of words made no sense whatsoever to Eddie, who’s eyes for locked on the empty table in front of them. Rats. WHO the fuck had rats in their dorm room?

“Look, probably some idiot freshman left some food laying around somewhere, and I’m pretty sure this’ll all be over in a few weeks,” Beverly assured him, a confident smile on her face. “Right Stan?”

“Actually, rats are really stubborn animals, and can reproduce quite fast.” Stan said.

“Stan! We’re supposed to be helping him, not scarring him for life.”

“What? You asked me!” Stan defended himself, and sipped his filtered coffee. “Look, Bev is right, I could use some change, you look like a fun guy. This fucker here,” he pointed at Richie, who looked innocent enough, sipping his coffee, “all he does is eat sour cream Pringles in the house and ruin my shirts. I’m like this close to kicking him out.” Richie looked betrayed and shocked, like a 17th century lady who found out that his husband has been looking at the ankles of other women.

“I gave my everything to this family and this is the thanks I get?” Richie said, holding his chest. “I am heartbroken, Stanley.”

“Don’t ever use the washing machine yourself, idiot.” Stanley added, and smirked.

…

Bill found the cafe quite fast, but couldn’t see Eddie’s hand, signaling him. On his defense, Eddie was quite short. When he finally found the table -mainly because the guy with the glasses looked just like the guy Eddie talked about, onşy a bit more ugly- he quickly got himself a chair, and sat down.

“Beverly, but call me Bev.” Beverly introduced herself, a big smile on her face. “Bill,” Bill replied, trying to believe that this was the infamous cover girl, Beverly Marsh.

“Richie, but don’t call me.” Richie went next, and Bill actually smiled at that. “Nice to meet you, Billiard.”

“Stan,” Stan told him, looking like he just saw a ghost. Then proceeded to get up, trip over a chair, and ran to the backroom.

Bill looked at Eddie, who opened his arms, saying ‘ _I don’t know what the fuck happened either’. Bill just shrugged._

_“_ Wow, Stanley is _not in the mood today._ It’s kinda my fault, I ruined his shirts.” Richie said, and Beverly hit his head with a coffee cup. “What?”

“Please tell me you didn’t hijack today’s morning load.” Beverly said, her voice dead serious. “So I won’t have to kill you, Richie. Tell me you didn’t fuck up my white Dior dress.”

_Dior dress?_ Both Bill and Eddie thought, looking at each other.

“Fine.” Richie said, “I won’t tell you.”

“Richie, I will kill you.”

****

Turns out, the ‘frat house’ Beverly talked about was basically a _mansion._

_“Holy shit.”_ Eddie whispered under his breath, followed by Bill’s “W-what the _fuck.”_

The ‘frat house’ was more of a wet dream of every university student, and looked like it would make into the cover of The Architectural Digest. The moment they stepped inside, a wide glass panel greeted them, making way for a balcony. There was a enormous couch in the middle, filled with cushions and soft looking pillows. In front of it, there was a TV, just as big as the couch, hanging from the wall. Eddie saw photo frames and books and even a stuffed animal, all scattered around the giant living room.

“ _Tu casa, mi casa,_ or something like that, I usually slept in spanish.” Beverly said, walking ahead. Stan, who hadn’t said anything but broken sentences since he met Bill, quickly took the stairs. Richie plopped himself to the couch, looking like he belonged there.

“Welcome home, Eduardo!”

They took the two beds in the guest room. They had no personal belongings, and Eddie didn’t think his clothes could survive longer than rats in their dorm room.

The upper floor was just like the lower, elegant but modern. It looked familiar, with the photo frames and books and socks on the floor, and Eddie couldn’t help but feel he didn’t belong there.

“Beverly, we can find an hotel,” he tried to say, but Beverly shushed him, the coffee pot in her hand. The coffee smelled _amazing._

“Eds, are you gonna steal my jewelry?”

“What, no-“

“Are you going to try and kill us in our sleep?”

“What the-“

“Are you going to try to set this place to fire because Richie won’t sleep with you? Because some girls tried.”

“Why would I ever set this beautiful place on fire because of Richie?” Eddie said, spitting the word Richie out. This was all too fast for him. “Look, we don’t want to be an inconvenience-“

“Okay, I wasn’t gonna tell you this, because it’s gonna seem like I’m paying off a debt, but here goes. You remember Tanner’s party, at the start of the semester? Kamila Hunch threw up on The Dean.”The memory alone made Eddie laugh, but he didn’t see the point. “So, I was at that party too, and needless to say, was very drunk. I was going through a rough patch and I said ‘hey, what’s better than drinking to death?’. Apparently, this was an invitation to some of the disgusting frat boys, because I remember them coaxing me into going to one of the bedrooms, completely drunk.”

Oh, Eddie did remember it.

“I pretended to be your boyfriend because an intoxicated girl with three guys is never a good sign.” Eddie finished the story, suddenly remembering the act. “I would do it for anyone.”

“That’s what I’m talking about! You saved me from a situation that I would be disgusted with for the rest of my life, so let medo the same.” She sounded genuine, real. Eddie wasn’t lying, he would’ve done it for anybody, and that was not the first time he helped a girl getting away from creepy guys.

“What do you say?”

Maybe Eddie wasn’t that unlucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short and it's been literally months since I last uploaded, but please take into consideration that french is hard as fuck and i am battling with a severe case of being a dumbass!


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